For students, attendance for the full two days is mandatory. A Certificate of Attendance will be issued to those who attend the entire bootcamp.
Full 2-Day Bootcamp Details
Open to: Current MA/MES in Planning students, Master of Future Cities students, and Waterloo PhD students
Cost: Free
Dates: January 9–10, 2026
Schedule:
- Friday, January 9 → 8:30 AM–8:00 PM
- Saturday, January 10 → 8:30 AM–5:00 PM
Registration Deadline: December 12, 2025
Location: This is an in-person event. Details will be emailed to registrants in December.
Hosted by: Future Cities Institute (FCI)
Breakfast and lunch will be provided on both days of the bootcamp, with refreshments served at the Friday evening panel.
Planning students often hear about the tensions between theory and practice. The FCI is launching a Land Development Bootcamp laser focused on practice rather than theory. The Bootcamp is a two-day, intensive program designed to build students’ knowledge and practical skills in three key areas:
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Municipal finance
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Infrastructure capacity as it relates to planning and land development
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Land development processes
Through hands-on workshops with leading practitioners and faculty members, students will:
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Gain a deeper understanding of municipal finance, infrastructure planning, and how land development works
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Learn from professionals and experts actively working in the field
Students who register for the two-day bootcamp are automatically enrolled in the Friday evening panel, no additional registration needed.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three performers, with CAIVAN judging based on planning efficiency metrics and proforma outcomes using a formal scoring rubric, with allocations of 500 dollars for first place, 250 dollars for second place, and 100 dollars for third place.
Friday Evening Panel Details
Open to: Public
Cost: Free
Panel Title: BUILD NOW: In conversation with the team leading Canada’s largest affordable homeownership initiative
Event date: January 9 2026, 6:00–8:00 PM
Registration Deadline: December 12, 2025
BUILD NOW: Waterloo Region is a local initiative bringing together government, not-for-profits, and industry to build permanently affordable and attainable housing at scale, with a mission to help solve the housing crisis.
Refreshments will be served at this panel and networking event.
BUILD NOW and its partners crafted a fourfold strategy to make homes affordable and attainable for hardworking Canadians: land at no cost; no development charges; no developer profits, and; smarter construction. BUILD NOW aims to build 10,000 new missing middle attainable and affordable homes in Waterloo Region by 2030. This engaging, multi-sector panel and networking session will be moderated by Leia Minaker (Future Cities Institute), in conversation with Phil Mills (Habitat for Humanity), Michelle Lee (City of Waterloo Planner), Mike Maxwell (Maxwell Building Consultants), and Dorothy McCabe (Mayor of Waterloo). Gain insights from industry experts, explore career pathways in sustainable communities, and expand your professional network. Open to professionals, students, and the public.
We look forward to seeing you there!